Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Rice County
The DNR has surveyed walleye in 17 lakes in Rice County. The 10 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Cannon Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 11 walleye per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 27 inches. Wells Lake is second at A−, with 17.6 walleye per gill net in the 2020 survey, and 8% of its walleye measured over 20 inches. Fox Lake is third at B+, and its biggest walleye was 24 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cannon Lake | A | 1,593 | 11/net in gill nets | 24% | 27" | 1.7 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Wells Lake | A− | 678 | 17.6/net in gill nets | 8% | 27" | 1.1 lb | 2020 |
| 3 | Fox Lake | B+ | 312 | 11.6/net in gill nets | 33% | 24" | 2.5 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Mazaska Lake | B | 688 | 3.4/net in gill nets | 59% | 26" | 3 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Cedar Lake | B | 902 | 1.7/net in gill nets | 100% | 28" | 4.6 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Lower Sakatah Lake | C+ | 372 | 2.8/net in gill nets | 12% | 25" | 1.9 lb | 2020 |
| 7 | Shields Lake | C+ | 941 | 1.1/net in gill nets | 100% | 26" | 5.2 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Cody Lake | C | 259 | 3.5/net in gill nets | 0% | 15" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 9 | Roberds Lake | C | 632 | 1.4/net in gill nets | 17% | 25" | 1.4 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Union Lake | C− | 397 | 1.6/net in gill nets | 0% | 13" | 0.6 lb | 2015 |
Also ranked in Rice County: Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best walleye lakes in Minnesota
Grades are based on Minnesota DNR survey data: how many fish the DNR caught (scaled by lake size), how many reached quality size, and the biggest fish measured. Each lake's page has the numbers behind its grade. The table shows each lake's most recent survey year.